Cue stick chalking device



May 5, 1964 w. G. RODRIGUE 3,131,933

CUE STICK CHALKING DEVICE Filed May 21, 1962 INVENTOR. WILBROD-G-RODRIGUE United States Patent Ofiice 3,131,933 Patented May 5, 1964 3,131,933 CUE STICK CHALKING DEVHCE Wilhrod G. Rodrigue, Camphellville, Ontario, Canada (323 Jackson St. W., Hamilton, Ontario, Canada) Filed May 21, 1962, Ser. No. 196,139 11 Claims. (Cl. 273-19) This invention relates to improvements in chalking devices and more particularly to a device for chalking a one stick.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a handy individual chalk device that can be manually operated for applying chalk to the tip of a cue stick in a simple and convenient manner.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a handy individual chalk device that can be carried in the pocket of wearing apparel, clipped upon a belt of an individual, or placed upon a table and can be controlled manually to apply the desired amount of chalk to a cue stick.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a handy individual chalk device such that the chalk when substantially worn can be replaced with a minimum amount of effort.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a handy individual chalk device such that when replacing the chalk a recharge button provided for this purpose is simply pressed and upon replacement with a fresh chalk the recharge button is then released.

Other objects of the invention are to provide a handy individual chalk device bearing the above objects in mind which is of simple construction, has a minimum number of parts, is inexpensive to manufacture and efiicient in operation.

For other objects and for a better understanding of the invention, reference may be had to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the present inven tion; and

FIGURE 2 is a partially exploded View of FIGURE 1 showing elevation.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a handy individual chalk device in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a cross shaped housing 12, having a pocket spring clip 14 secured thereto on one side. A plurality of circular projections 16, 18, 29 and 22 extend at right angles to each other from housing 12. A circular opening 24 through projection 16 freely receives one stick 26 and the circular chalk 28 is received within spring clip 30 and is frictionally held between a ,plurality of fingers 32. A projecting shoulder 34 within housing 12 provides stop means for spring clip 30. A polygonal shaft 36 is fixedly secured beneath and centrally of spring clip 31) and is freely received Within and centrally of a circular bracket 38 having an angular flange 40 molded within projection 20. Bracket 38 is secured within opening 41 of projection 20 and the inner wall 42 of bracket 38 supports the downward end of polygonal shaft 36. A circular extension 44 extends downward from shaft 36 and is slideably and freely received within coil spring 46. Spring 46 is received freely within a circular opening 48 of a circular button 50 and a washer 52 circular in configuration is secured to button 50 by screw 54. The upper end of spring 46 is in abutment with wall 42, 38. A circular actuating button 56 having a washer 58 on its outside surface is secured to washer 58 by screw 69. Actuating button 56 is free to oscillate within circular opening 61 of projection 22 of housing 12. The horizontal and circular shaft 62 is fixedly secured to and centrally of actuating button 56 and is provided with a flange 64 at its other end which is slideably received within .circular opening 66 of projection 18 of housing 12. A coil spring 68 is freely received within the opening 66 and in abutment with flange 64 of shaft 2 and the other end is in abutment with a circular plug 70 having a flange 72. Flange 72 of plug 70 is received within a circular recess 74 of projection 18 and is flush with the outside thereof. A circular washer 76 serves to cover the end of projection 18 and is secured to plug 70 by a threaded screw 78.

In operation, the user grasps the housing 12 in his hand and places the cue stick 26 within the opening 24, urging it against the chalk 28, and with the hand holding the housing 12 he presses the actuating button 56 with one finger and the shaft 62 in frictional engagement with the shaft 36 at right angles thereto moves against the spring 68 and simultaneously rotates shaft 36 which ro tates chalk 28 against the cue stick 26, and when finger pressure upon the actuating button 56 is released, the spring 68 within opening 66, reacts against flange 64 of shaft 62 and thus urges it outwardly again, returning the shaft 62 to its normal position and rotating the chalk 28 in the opposite direction. When this operation is completed the cue stick 26 is then removed from the opening 24. When the chalk 28 wears sufiiciently down, a new chalk may be inserted within the spring clip 30 by urging button 54) upward with a finger of the operators hand. This will raise the clip 36 above the projection 16, whereupon the worn chalk may be removed and a new replacement chalk inserted within the clip 3% and the button 59 may be released and the spring 46 pressing against the button 58 will return it to its normal position.

It will thus be recognized that actuation of the button 56 imparts both clockwise and anti-clockwise rotation to the chalk 28.

It will also be noted that the device aforementioned may be clipped to the pocket or belt of the operator when not in use.

While various changes may be made in the details of construction, it shall be understood that such changes shall be within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. An individual chalk device comprising, in combination, a substantially cross-shaped housing having opposite pairs of projections, a pair of passages extending in cruciform relation through said housing and through said pro jections, a clip mounted on one end of a polygonal shaft, a cylindrical chalk mounted within said spring clip, said chalk, spring slip and polygonal shaft being held rotatably free within one of said passages, a cylindrical shaft having an actuating button afiixed at one end thereof, a compression coil spring in longitudinal alignment and in abutment with the opposite end of said cylindrical shaft, said cylindrical shaft and said coil spring being retained longitudinally slidably free within the other of said passages, said cylindrical shaft being in frictional engagement with said polygonal shaft whereby longitudinal movement of said actuating button and said cylindrical shaft against said compression coil spring will rotate said polygonal shaft and said chalk to permit chalking up of a cue stick held in abutment with said chalk.

2. The combination according to claim 1, wherein said projections of said housing are substantially circular and are substantially at right angles to each other and one of said projections provides an opening for receiving said cue stick.

3. The combination according to claim 2 wherein said spring clip frictionally receives said chalk, said spring clip comprising a plurality of springy fingers in contact received Within a circular bracket having a substantially circular angular flange fitted within a lower projection of said housing. g 5. The combination according to claim 4 wherein said extension of said polygonal shaft freely passes through a second coil spring received Within said passage in said lower projection, one end of said second coil spring bearing against said bracket, and a recharge button, normally urged by the opposite end of said second coil spring in an outward direction, said recharge button being aflixed to said circular projection of said polygonal shaft. 6; The combination according to claim 5, wherein said recharge button is freely received within said opening of said lower projection of said housing and provides the means of urging upward said spring clip and said chalk for replacement thereof when said chalk is substantially worn out.

7. The combination according to claim 6, wherein said polygonal shaft is substantially at right angles to said cylindrical shaft, said cylindrical shaft being frictionally engaged with said polygonal shaft and providing the means of rotating said chalk clockwise and anti-clockwise.

8. The combination according to claim 7, wherein said spring clip is prevented from excessive downward motion by a stop at right angles to one side of said opening receiving said clip and said stop is integral with said housing.

9. The combination according to claim 8, wherein a washer is secured to the actuating button by a screw and said button is oscillatable within the passage which is at right angles to said lower projection passage.

10. The combination according to claim 9, wherein said 7 first mentioned spring is in abutment with the flange of said shaft at one end and a circular plug at the other end, and

said plug freely receives a screw through a cap-washer in abutment with said plug.

11. The combination according to claim 10, wherein the forward urging of said actuating button inward of said housing produces a substantial clockwise rotation of said chalk and when released said spring in alignment with said shaft and said button produces an anti-clockwise rotation of said chalk with a constant and positive fiictional engagement between said cylindrical shaft and said polygonal shaft beneath said clip and said chalk.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES' PATENTS 

1. AN INDIVIDUAL CHALK DEVICE COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, A SUBSTANTIALLY CROSS-SHAPED HOUSING HAVING OPPOSITE PAIRS OF PROJECTIONS, A PAIR OF PASSAGES EXTENDING IN CRUCIFORM RELATION THROUGH SAID HOUSING AND THROUGH SAID PROJECTIONS, A CLIP MOUNTED ON ONE END OF A POLYGONAL SHAFT, A CYLINDRICAL CHALK MOUNTED WITHIN SAID SPRING CLIP, SAID CHALK, SPRING SLIP AND POLYGONAL SHAFT BEING HELD ROTATABLY FREE WITHIN ONE OF SAID PASSAGES, A CYLINDRICAL SHAFT HAVING AN ACTUATING BUTTON AFFIXED AT ONE END THEREOF, A COMPRESSION COIL SPRING IN LONGITUDINAL ALIGNMENT AND IN ABUTMENT WITH THE OPPOSITE END OF SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAFT, SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAFT AND SAID COIL SPRING BEING RETAINED LONGITUDINALLY SLIDABLY FREE WITHIN THE OTHER OF SAID PASSAGES, SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAFT BEING IN FRICTIONAL ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID POLYGONAL SHAFT WHEREBY LONGITUDINAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ACTUATING BUTTON AND SAID CYLINDRICAL SHAFT AGAINST SAID COMPRESSION COIL SPRING WILL ROTATE SAID POLYGONAL SHAFT AND SAID CHALK TO PERMIT CHALKING UP OF A CUE STICK HELD IN ABUTMENT WITH SAID CHALK. 